John Thompson Approves of Brooks Laich

"Each year my goal coming back to camp, I don't set a goal of scoring 27 goals and 34 assists for so many points or whatever," Brooks Laich told John Thompson on ESPN 980 Tuesday afternoon. "The ultimate thing that I want to do is win a Stanley Cup. That's the only thing that matters to me. And to be able to do that, I try to help the team whatever way I can. If it's playing left wing tonight and center tomorrow night, I think versatility in the forward positions helps out our team. Some nights I might be in a scoring role, some nights it might be the check."

Etc. etc. If you want to get praised by the coach on his radio show, talk about how the ultimate thing you want to do is win a championship.

"Where's you get these old school values?" Thompson asked him. "It just appears to me that so many people in team ball are more about themselves."

Of course, John Thompson also has Clinton Portis as a frequent guest. Just for fun, I thought I'd use some of his quotes here, in a compare and contrast kinda way. Let's see....like this one:

"I would love to be the star. I would love to sit here and tell you, 'Clinton Portis is the answer to every problem we've got.' I would love to tell you, 'Put Clinton Portis on defense and I can make plays over there.' But Clinton Portis can't do everything.

"I think as a team what they're trying to do is get us to play team ball and for it not to always be on my shoulders, and let other guys that's capable of making plays make plays. And I think we have the challenge, we've just got to do it. I mean, there's no other way to say it.

"Everybody says I'm not durable, I'm not this, I'm not that. I'm at the top in the league every year. I'm at the top in carries, I'm at the top in plays, I'm at the top in total offense, I'm at the top in total yards, but people fail to realize all the work that I actually put in. It's, 'Oh, he didn't get the ball.' Well, I led the league in carries. How many more times you want me to carry the ball, how many more times you want me to touch the ball?

"I can't do everything. I can't throw it and I can't catch it, I can't do that to myself, I have to play within the guidelines of what the coach call. You know, I would love to sit [there and say], 'Hey man, give me the draw.' Hey, when he feels like giving me a draw, I go ask him, 'Coach, let me get the draw,' and if he call it, he call it. if he don't, I got to execute the plays that he call."

Similar sentiments, all in all. Thompson also read out loud this Laich quote: "If you want money go to the bank, if you want bread go to the bakery if you want goals go to the net."

"You need to tell a lot of other players that in a relation to a hell of a lot of sports," Thompson said. I think he has a crush. Anyhow, here's how Laich explained his "old-school values."

"I think it's instilled in you as a young guy," he said. "I had great parents. We're very active in the community. Their whole thing was making the community better with their contributions, and that's the same thing as working on a team. The hockey part is easy. I've played hockey since I was two years old. We all played this game when we were 5 years old, so how hard can it really be to play hockey? If you care about the people around you, it makes it so much better. And I like our guys, I thoroughly enjoy playing hockey in Washington. Life is pretty good. We have a winning team and a great chance for a championship, so like I said, life is pretty good here for me."

(Laich also described Mike Knuble as "the prototype of sandpaper and grit," which isn't a bad quote, either.)

Crafty, Steinz! I see what you did there! You turned it around to show how that one guy was talking about being a team player on the radio show, and that other guy was talking about not being a team player on the same radio show!

Look at the Capitals...how do you build a competitive and consistant winner? You build through the draft and allow players to grow together. You hire a GM that has a vision that will get you there in a couple years, and then a coach that fits that vision-system. While you are being patient (emphasis on PATIENCE), you do everything to put the fans first and make their experience unforgetable. Granted Ted had his bumps in the road, but learned from his mistakes and built one of the most respected franchises in sports. Snyder has had more than bumps in the road, but has not learned a thing from his mistakes, and has built one of the most disrespected franchises in sports. Granted Synder's brand is worth a lot of money...at some point though that value will decrease immensely when the fans bail on you...as we are starting to witness.